Chihiro Yamanaka “After Hours” (Verve 2008)

Yamanaka’s ninth release (she has one more out since) is a marvel of piano trio work, accomplished, focused and pretty. Her lightness of touch and unhurried calm come through on every number, showing why her CDs, each of them in piano trio format, continue to work so well. Her influences are apparent, Oscar Peterson’s can be heard on nearly every tune, as well as in the piano-guitar-bass setup, but she has a distinctive voice. Her phrasing on solos draws on Peterson-like runs, but she sounds like herself. This is traditional piano trio at its best, personal, intimate and swinging.

Jazz hounds who search for the roughest, most challenging jazz around might be put off by her polish and style. Yamanaka’s music is pristinely packaged by a major label. However, as with many talented musicians, popular and pristine does not mean predictable. She stays well within the boundaries of traditional jazz, but her appeal comes in her dedication to skill, craft and jazz beauty. She improvises relentlessly and beautifully. With no drummer, her solos sound all the more delicate.

The CD is extremely well recorded, with fantastic sound quality that cannot be heard on every label. It is very well packaged, in this sense, but that is not always what everyone wants. It is also a bit short, coming in at a total of 35 minutes, about half of most jazz recordings these days. One wishes, though for more than nice, cool prettiness on an often-played tune like “When You Wish Upon a Star,” which is only a couple minutes long, when it feels like the trio should have a lot more to say.

Those quibbles aside, each song is a delight. Her feeling is always pleasant, but inventive and tasteful. She plays hard, but it never feels like that. Without forcing anything, it becomes clear she does not have to. Her inventiveness comes in the constant flow of fast-paced solos with unerring sophistication. The hints of Peterson come in places like the first solo on “There Will Never Be Another You,” as well as on the straight-on bop of “Confirmation.” The womanly fancy-dress packaging of the CD might turn off some serious jazz fans, but this is extremely polished music with expressive lyricism and oodles of talent.